ADB appraising rail plans

The Asian Development Bank has started appraising the next set of National Rail Vikas Yojana projects, which will cost Rs 800 crore (Rs 8 billion).

The six projects under appraisal are the construction of a third line in the Aligarh-Ghaziabad, Khurda Road-Barang, Attipattu-Korrkupat and Tiruvallur-Arrakonam sections, and doubling of the tracks on the Rajatgarh-Barang and Cuttack-Barang sections.

"If these proposals are approved, ADB will have exhausted its fund commitment to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd," a senior rail official told Business Standard. The bank had earlier approved funding for four projects worth Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion).

"The pre-qualification of the bidders has been done and the six contracts will be awarded by March next year," the official said.

The projects appraised earlier were doubling work on the Gooty-Pullampet section [Rs 305 crore (Rs 3.05 billion)], the construction of a new line on the Keonjhar-Tomaka section [Rs 170 crore (Rs 1.70 billion)], the building of a third line in the Bhatapara-Urukura section [Rs 140 crore (Rs 1.40 billion)] and the construction of a second bridge over the Mahanadi river [Rs 85 crore (Rs 850 million)].